Shortly after moving to Anchorage, I asked a local to recommend some good, out of the way restaurants.
"Lucky Wishbone," came her quick response.
She told me the greasy spoon, located across the street from the municipal airport, was a hangout for locals, especially bush pilots. She bragged about the panfried chicken, hand-dipped milkshakes, and homemade french fries and burgers.
On a cold (when isn't it cold) and dreary September day, I headed over to "The Bone." I found a 1950s era green and white building with sparkling windows and charming flowerboxes. Inside, the place was short on ambiance - think diner-type booths and counters - but totally crowded. I waited for 20 minutes to have a seat (and I was told that was a modest wait). In fact, I waited longer to be seated than I did to place my order, receive my order, and consume my order.
I had a burger, fries and a chocolate milkshake and was completely satified. I grew up in the midwest in the 70s and have fond memories of eating the same type fare from Frisch's Big Boys (before it became a pathetic chain). I remember the cheesburgers being greasy, the buns fresh, the fries hot and salty. The milkshakes were thick and chocolatey.
Lucky Wishbone is a nostalgic kind of place; one in which you expect to see waitresses on rollerskates, or the Fonz hitting the jukebox! The food is good, though expensive (a family of four eating burgers, fries and a shakes can expect to pay $50)
***Intersting note: If you do make it to Lucky Wishbone, be sure to take some time to look at the photographs on the walls. The owner has amassed an impressive collection of pictures of Anchorage through years, as well as images of pilots stationed at Elmendorf AFB.